PROJECTSUMMARY ThisproposalisanewapplicationforfiveyearsoffundingtosupportTraininginMicrobiologyand InfectiousDiseasesatUCIrvine.TheprimaryobjectiveofthisTrainingProgramistoprovidedoctoral studentswithintegratedtraininginthreefocusareas:1)microbialstructureandmetabolism,2)microbe- hostinteractions,and3)microbialcommunities.Therationalebehindthistrainingstructureisthatthere willbetremendousvalueinindividualswithafluencyintheserelatedareasthatarevitaltocombating and/orexploitingmicrobestopositivelyimpacthumanhealthandtheenvironment.TheTrainingProgram willleverageareasofexcellenceatUCIinmicrobialecology,microbe-hostinteractions,andstructural biologytobringtogetherfacultytrainerswithexpertiseinmicrobialpathogenesis,moleculargenetics, metabolism,structure,immunityandinfectiousdiseases,andmicrobialdiversity.Theprogramwillbe comprisedof18well-fundedtrainingfaculty(10women,8men)fromtheSchoolofBiologicalSciences andtheSchoolofMedicineatUCI.Thefacultymentorsconductresearchonmicrobiologyandinfectious diseasesatthemolecular,cellular,organismal,population,andcommunitylevels.UCIhasastrong historyinthefieldsofmicrobiologyandinfectiousdiseaseresearch,asthePacific-SouthwestRegional CenterofExcellenceinBiodefenseandEmergingInfectiousDiseaseswashousedatUCIfrom2005- 2014.TheTrainingProgramwillensurethatthetraineeswillbeequippedwiththenecessarytoolsand expertisetopursueaproductiveandindependentcareerinmicrobiology.Inadditiontofaculty mentorship,thetraineeswillbenefitfromseminars,journalclubs,researchinprogresstalks,andan annualsymposium.Traineeswillalsoreceivefundstotraveltoandpresenttheirresearchatanational meetingintheirfield.Finally,UCIishometotheNIH-fundedGPS-BIOMEDprogram,whichwillensure thattraineeshaveexposuretocareerdevelopmentseminars,workshops,andmentorshipthroughout theirtraining.Theapplicationrequestssupportforthreepredoctoraltrainees,whowillbedrawnfrom studentswhoenrollatUCIthroughoneofseveralgatewayordepartmentalprograms,includingthe Cellular&MolecularBiosciencesProgram,InterdepartmentalNeuroscienceProgram,Mathematical, Computational&SystemsBiologyProgram,MedicalScientistTrainingProgram(MSTP),andthe departmentalEcology&EvolutionaryBiologyProgram.ThemeanincomingGPAforthiscohortof studentsoverthelastfiveyearswas3.61,reflectingastrongoverallacademicperformancebythe potentialtrainees.Onaverageoverthelastfiveyears,23%ofthetraining-granteligibleentering studentswereunder-representedminorities.UCIhasbeenrecognizedasaHispanic-servinginstitution (HSI)andanAsianAmerican,NativeAmerican,andPacificIslanderservinginstitution(AANAPISI),and theTrainingProgramisexpectedtoreflectthisrichculturalandethnicdiversityontheUCIcampus.